Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has delivered three game-winning RBIs in his five games since being called up from Triple-A last week. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the big leagues…
- The Rangers will take a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming trade deadline meaning Jon Daniels and his associates plan to consider the best players available, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Daniels hopes his team will benefit from getting four pitchers back from the disabled list before the end of the month. "… I’m hoping we’re not big players at the deadline. Hopefully, we get our guys back, get healthy and stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing."
- The Phillies will make at least one more attempt to sign Cole Hamels to a long-term contract before the team fully commits to dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). As mentioned earlier today, opposing clubs believe Philadelphia has an asking price of four to five prospects for Hamels, which makes a deal unlikely at this point. The 28-year-old was selected for his third All-Star team on Sunday after posting a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.
- Dodgers star Matt Kemp remains confident in his team's ability to be successful on the field after Los Angeles' deal with the Astros for Carlos Lee fell through on Sunday, says Alex Angert of MLB.com. "It's always good to get people to make your team better," Kemp said. "I don't know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that's good. But if we don't, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half."
- The Rays, depleted by a series of injuries, will determine how they approach the trade deadline based upon the health of Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If Longoria and Joyce return from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break, it would free up the Rays to bolster their weak spots at catcher and shortstop. More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who has 15 home runs since May 15.
I think Alfonso Soriano to the Rays would be an excellent acquisition. They ought to have the extra players laying around too. They always have some stock to keep and some stock to trade.
If the Rays eat the salary, the Cubs would probably be happy with a factory-second middle infielder. He doesn’t even have to be slightly irregular.
“If the Rays eat the salary”
Are you talking about the Tampa Bay Rays? They don’t like to pay for the plane ticket to Tampa, let alone a salary.
Eh. The Rays will probably still have to kick in $2M-3M a year for a B/B+ prospect.
Yeah, I don’t see the Rays eating much of the salary. They shouldn’t have to though. Their system has got to have something in it they aren’t going to use. The Cubs need help everywhere at all levels.
I can assure you the Rays if they get Soriano wont be eating his salary.
Maybe not, but they could sign newly-released Bobby Jenks to eat his salary. It’d be the biggest contribution he’s made to an AL East team, for starters…
If anyone give up anything more than an A & maybe a B- prospect for Hamels then they’re overpaying. One of the few teams i see a legit fit being is Texas, but even then, for a 2 month rental with no compensation, no way you let them touch Profar.
Just ask San Fran how that Beltran trade worked out.
I think most are in agreement that Profar is almost untouchable, especially for a rental. Eveb Olt or Perez may be off the table for a 2-month rental…which means Texas probably won’t get him. I’m fine with that though, as should most Rangers fans be. He’s an unnescessary expense.
Hamels will be a compensation pitcher.. He is going to get a qualifying offer from whatever team he ends up with at the end of the season.. and if he doesn’t agree, that team will get comp.
Nope. CBA changed all of that. A team making a mid season trade won’t get any compensation at all now.
Slotting making prospects more valuable, less chance in many ways to get compensation. Many teams are living in a fantasy world when it comes to what people are worth and judging it as to what they were in the previous CBA.
you do realize that Hamels can change a pennent race right? i understand that he a rental but this guy is a top 10 pitcher right now sorry i would rather have the draft picks and maybe they get on a run when a halladay and howard comes back.
I agree they should keep him, but I’m just saying that a team mortgaging their future for a greater chance now is likely not a wise move. Especially since nothing is guaranteed (as per my giants reference).
i think the Rays or Indians would be perfect fits for Soriano
Rays are always looking for someone to not run down the 1b line after hitting a hard grounder/line drive directly at an IF. Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes are gone and Upton will be gone at the end of the year, why not have another in Soriano? Rays seem to collect those types.
Alfonso would be a good addition for the Rays if the Cubs do in fact eat the majority of his salary. The only problem is – who would we give up? We have very few high value prospects that I don’t think we would think about trading.
Why are the White Sox tagged in this post?
“Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who leads the big leagues with 15 home runs since May 15”
Jose Bautista says hi with 18 HR’s since May 15.
Hi, Jose!
Yeah, I knew that looked way off. Bautista broke the Jay’s record for HRs in a month during June with 15 I think.
shhh, we’re trying to make teams think Soriano is really valuable right now
Jon Daniels is a smart GM, not doing anything stupid to risk the future of his franchise.
Wow, I was really expecting Matt Kemp to say something along the lines of, “Well, that’s probably the season for us. I highly doubt we’ll be making the playoffs. There’s always next year. 50/50!’
Of course he ‘remains confident.’
Phillies: “Come on Cole. 4 years at $16.5 per with a team option on year 5.”
Hamels: ……… click.
yeah, i’m sure that’s exactly how it went.
I think Trevor Plouffe leads the bigs in home runs in that time frame, actually.
He is basically doing what Ryan Roberts did last year.
The only team that makes sense for Hamels in a possible deal is Baltimore. Although it would undoubtedly cost the O’s Avery and 2 or 3 others (it won’t happen probably). Baltimore is 15-22 in their last 37 games, as the league has gotten a few peeks at their young arms. At this rate, the Birds are in trouble. One solid, experienced arm would probably push them into the post-season. Remember that until about 7 weeks ago, the Orioles were the #1 A.L. team in ERA. I think they’re 7th now.
Soriano to the Rays would be perfect. TB needs a DH and some much needed pop since Longoria and Joyce are out and the Cubs need to get rid of Soriano.
I say the trade goes
Soriano and eating 45 mil or a little more of his contract
for
Sean Rodriguez and a prospect or 2
I don’t understand the trade proposals involving Soriano where people say “Oh they’ll take a bag of baseballs for him.” So lemme make sense of this – how is GOOD for the Cubs to pay basically his entire remaining salary (which is a fortune), get nothing of value back in terms of talent, and then just not have Soriano anymore? He’s not blocking anyone. You’d basically be paying a fortune to give away a player who is still a lot better than anyone the Cubs could replace him with right now. I mean – why? Why do that? He’s not a clubhouse cancer or anything, either. If there isn’t a good prospect or two involved, or the team you’re trading with won’t eat a more significant part of the salary, the deal makes no sense. It’s a net loss to the ballclub.
Why is this tagged as white sox rumor?????????????